There is no air service to the island of 'Eua, because Tonga's Ministry of Civil Aviation does not have the funds to fence the runway on the island to keep away stray animals, and a recent test flight found it was not safe to land with stray pigs on the runway.

The Legal Advisor for the Ministry Civil Aviation, Tevita Havea, told the Talanga Tourism Summit at the Dateline Hotel, Nuku'alofa, yesterday, February 21 that this was the reason for lack of an air service. However, he was hopeful that a fence would be built for the 'Eua runway before July 1, 2006, "the date set by Government for all domestic airports in Tonga to be corporatised".

The Airlines Tonga was given a licence to be the second airline operating a domestic air service in December 2005. It conducted a test flight to 'Eua on January 18 and discovered that it was not safe to land on the island because of stray pigs on the runway.

Airlines Tonga had brought its second 17-seat Harbin Y12 aircraft on February 20 from Fiji, to help with the domestic operation. Sialeni Vuetaki, the airlines CEO said that if they were given the approval to fly to '‘Eua they could fly the next day because they have the aircraft and the crew. He said that AT planned to fly twice a day to 'Eua.

With a second aircraft in operation, the AT's new schedule is twice daily to Vava'u from Monday to Saturday and three weekly flights to Ha'’apai. They also fly once a week to the two Niuas.

Sialeni also said AT was planning to fly the Nadi-Vava'u Tongatapu route and they were hopeful that if they were given the approval by the Fiji Government they could start the service in May.

"We are quite aware that the Tonga government is reviewing the One Air Operators Policy next month and the performances of both ourselves and the other domestic operator Air Peau Vava'u; at the same time we are improving our services to show government we are quite anxious to provide a quality domestic service for Tonga," said Sialeni who believed that there was room for two operators in the domestic market, "and competition would prove good for public customers".